Richard Sharpe - The Novels

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Introduction:

Not the first series about soldiers in the Revolutionary/Napoleonic wars, but certainly one of the best. This series scored big time by being made into a series of telemovies. Initially written chronologically from the time of Talavera on, Cornwell has since returned to fill in some of (but not yet all of) the gaps. Sharpe is a gutter rat ranker, who manages to make the jump to officer and joins the 2nd battalion of the 95th Rifles, one of the most famous regiments in the Peninsular War.

Cut off during the retreat to Corunna/Vigo, Sharpe leads his small group of survivors back south to Portugal, where they join Wellesley's army as a detachment. [This is fortunate, since after Vigo the second battalion went on the Walcheren expedition and was nearly destroyed by "Walcheren Fever" (malaria), most of the survivors being invalided out of the army in the next couple of years.] Seconded to (and given a field captaincy in) the fictional South Essex after the battalion was badly cut up and demoralised, the stories follow his career with the South Essex during the Peninsular War and later at Waterloo. Recently Sharpe's early career with the 33rd in India has been chronicled and an incident in his later life added.

Cornwell is still writing, filling in more gaps in Sharpe's career.

Notes:The publisher originally intended the title of "Sharpe's Prey" to be "Sharpe's Fury", but changed it at Bernard Cornwell's insistence. Images of the planned cover are still floating around on web sites.

The Novels (in written order)

Read in this order, the inevitable inconsistencies which arise from the "gap-filling" are not as noticeable.

Pub'd

Title

Set

Location

1981

Sharpe's Eagle

Jul 1809

Talavera Campaign
Lieutenant Sharpe of the 95th Rifles is stuck in Portugal, after being cut off during the retreat from Corunna. A bridge blowing expedition which goes wrong sees Sharpe promoted brevet-captain, but can he keep the rank?

1982

Sharpe's Gold

August 1810

Destruction of Almeida
Sharpe and his company are sent to hunt for a missing British officer and a consignment of Spanish Gold.

1982

Sharpe's Company

Jan-Apr 1812

Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz
Sharpe's brevet promotion has not been ratified, and another officer purchases his company. To add to his worries, his Spanish girlfriend informs him they have a baby daughter - in Badajoz!

1983

Sharpe's Sword

Jun-Jul 1812

Salamanca
Curtis, Wellington's top agent in Spain is under threat from a ruthless French colonel and Sharpe is set the job of keeping him alive.

1984

Sharpe's Enemy

Dec 1812

Nth Portugal
A organised, multinational group of deserters is terrorising northern Portugal, and have both a French and a British hostage. Will the French use this as an excuse to gain a foothold in Portugal again?

1985

Sharpe's Honour

Feb-Jun 1813

Vittoria
A Spanish nobleman accuses Sharpe of raping his wife, a charge of which Sharpe is innocent. Why is he doing it, and will Sharpe survive the court-martial?

1986

Sharpe's Regiment

Jun-Nov 1813

Franco-Spanish border, London
The South Essex are dwindling, and calls for reinforcements from their second battalion are going unanswered. Sharpe heads for England to find out why.

1987

Sharpe's Siege

Jan Feb 1814

Bayonne
A Royalist French Count swears that the Bordeau district is ready to rise against Napoleon, so Sharpe and his men set off by sea to find out if it's true.

1988

Sharpe's Rifles

Jan-Feb 1809

Galicia, Moore's retreat
Quarter-master Lieutenant Sharpe is looking after his companies during the retreat to Corunna, when they are cut off. As the only surviving officer Sharpe must take charge, but will the men obey him?

1989

Sharpe's Revenge

Apr-? 1814

France
Peace at last, but Sharpe is in prison, framed by Ducos for murder and the theft of Napoleon's gold.

1990

Sharpe's Waterloo

Jun 1815

Waterloo
Sharpe is running Lucille's farm in Normandy when the call comes to rejoin the army for Waterloo. Sharpe has had enough of fighting, but the chance of his Lieutenant-Colonelcy with an increased pension draws him back.

Fuentes de Onoro
The Spanish government has sent the Royal Irish Regiment to assist the British. Wellington wants none of them, but with a bit of luck Sharpe will scare them back to Cadiz.

1997

Sharpe's Tiger

Apr-May 1799

Seringapatam
Private Sharpe is being hounded by the evil Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill to the point of desertion. Can he save himself and can he save his woman, Mary Bickerstaff?

1998

Sharpe's Triumph

-Sep 1803

Assaye
Sergeant Sharpe is sent on a secret mission with Colonel McCandless of the East India Company which brings him into contact with the enemy commanders. They offer him a commision in the Mahratta army, but Sharpe wants a British commission.

1999

Sharpe's Fortress

Nov-Dec 1803

Argaum, Gawilghur
Ensign Sharpe is finding life as an officer less than pleasant. Was it such a great thing to have made the jump from the ranks?

2000

Sharpe's Trafalgar

Oct 1805

Trafalgar
On the recommendation of Colonel Wallace, Sharpe has transferred to the newfangled 95th Rifles, and now 2nd Lieutenant Sharpe is on his way home to join them.

2001

Sharpe's Prey

1807

Denmark
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, and 2nd Lieutenant Sharpe is sent to find out what.

2003

Sharpe's Havoc

1809

Oporto
Wellesley's back in charge at Lisbon, but the French have regained Oporto. Influential British interests want action and Sharpe is sent north to start it.

2003

Sharpe's Escape

1810

The retreat to Torres Vedras

The Novels in Chronological Order

Read in this order, you get a better sense of the history of the period

Year

Mth

Title

Location

Pub'd

1799

Apr-May

Sharpe's Tiger

Seringapatam

1997

1803

Sep

Sharpe's Triumph

Assaye

1998

1803

Nov-Dec

Sharpe's Fortress

Argaum, Gawilghur

1999

1805

Oct

Sharpe's Trafalgar

Trafalgar

2000

1807

Sharpe's Prey

Denmark

2001

1809

Jan-Feb

Sharpe's Rifles

Galicia

1988

1809

Apr

Sharpe's Havoc

Oporto

2003

1809

Jul

Sharpe's Eagle

Talavera

1981

1810

Aug

Sharpe's Gold

Almeida

1982

1810

Sep-Oct

Sharpe's Escape

Bussaco and the retreat to Torres Vedras

2004

1811

May

Sharpe's Battle

Fuentes de Onoro

1995

1812

Jan-Apr

Sharpe's Company

Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz

1982

1812

Jun-Jul

Sharpe's Sword

Salamanca

1983

1812

Dec

Sharpe's Enemy

Nth Portugal

1984

1813

Jun

Sharpe's Honour

Vittoria

1985

1813

Jun-Nov

Sharpe's Regiment

Franco-Spanish Border, London

1986

1814

Jan-Feb

Sharpe's Siege

Bayonne

1987

1814

Apr-

Sharpe's Revenge

France

1989

1815

Jun

Sharpe's Waterloo

Waterloo

1990

1820

-1821

Sharpe's Devil

Chile

1992

The following titles are available as audio books:

Sharpe's Tiger [read by Sean Bean]

Sharpe's Triumph [read by Paul McGann]

Sharpe's Fortress [read by Paul McGann]

Sharpe's Trafalgar [read by Paul McGann]

Sharpe's Prey [read by Paul McGann]

Sharpe's Havoc [read by Paul McGann]

Sharpe's Gold [read by Paul McGann]

Sharpe's Battle [read by Paul McGann]

Sharpe's Sword [read by Paul McGann]

Sharpe's Devil [read by Sean Bean]

"The Sharpe Companion" by Mark Adkin fills in some of the military and historical background to the series. It was published not long after "Sharpe's Tiger" and covers all the novels written up to that point. The maps are excellent and the information on the period is good. Adkin drew the ire of some Sharpe fans by attempting to fill in the gaps in Sharpe's career, some of his insertions being contradicted by the later novels.

I've had a bit of fun filling in some of the gaps myself. You can find my humble homage to the works of Bernard Cornwell on my Fan Fiction Page.